Poor managers bad for workers’ mental health and performance

CPD calls on employers to ensure managers receive necessary training and support to manage people effectively

By Keith Findlay

May 28 2023, 6:00 am

Team leader quarreling with employees. Image: Shutterstock

North and north-east businesses striving for happy workplaces would do well to pay attention to the findings of a revealing new study.

The report shows a direct link between poor managers and negative mental health, job satisfaction and performance among workers.

In response, CIPD is highlighting the need for better people manager selection and development.

The professional body for HR and people development hopes this will ensure many more business bosses have the skills needed to effectively lead and support their teams.

Its report, The Importance of People Management: Analysis of its Impact on Employees, draws on data from CIPD’s annual Good Work Index, which asked employees to rate managers on a range of people management behaviours.

This research starkly shows poor managers that lack key people management skills can have a very negative effect on the mental health, job satisfaction and performance of the people they manage.”

Lee Ann Panglea, CIPD Scotland

The results were then used to create a line manager quality index, to analyse whether employees’ perception of line management behaviour was linked to their job satisfaction, wellbeing and performance.

The results showed that workers whose managers were rated in the bottom quartile of the manager quality index were more likely to report:

Negative impacts on their mental health – half (50%) of workers whose managers were rated in the bottom quartile on the manager quality index said their work had a negative impact on their mental health, compared to just 14% of workers whose managers were in the top quartile
Excessive pressure at work – nearly two in five (39%) of workers with the lowest rated managers said they were under excessive pressure at work often or always, compared to just 14% of those with the best managers
Lower job satisfaction – just three in 10 (30%) people with bottom quartile rated line managers said they were satisfied with their jobs, compared to 88% of those with the highest rated managers
Reduced willingness to go the extra mile – while 74% of people who rated their managers highly volunteered to do things not normally required by the job, just 38% of employees with the worst managers said they would

Good managers mean happier teams

Lee Ann Panglea, head of CIPD in Scotland, said: “This research starkly shows poor managers that lack key people management skills can have a very negative effect on the mental health, job satisfaction and performance of the people they manage.

“It also highlights that good manager behaviour can help mitigate against people experiencing excessive workloads and stress.

Angry boss complaining — Leadership style is everything. Image: Shutterstock

“Managers who treat people fairly and provide effective feedback and support, while also developing their staff and helping employees to work together, are likely to have happier, healthier and higher performing teams.

“Employers need to think carefully about how they recruit and develop managers at all levels to ensure they are equipped with the people management skills needed to manage people effectively.”